Move well, live well: Pain management day in Southwark
People in Southwark with muscle and joint pain can now get faster help through Musculoskeletal (MSK) Community Appointment Days. This NHS service gives people a full check in a local community space, bringing together physiotherapists, social prescribers and other community teams under one roof. It helps people get the right support sooner and reduces the need for several separate visits.
To date across south east London, over 1,600 patients have been seen, reducing waiting lists from over 3,200 to fewer than 150 patients. Patient feedback has remained positive, with average satisfaction scores of 9 out of 10, and 95-98% of respondents reporting a highly rated overall experience.
Siznora Smith, attended a recent Southwark MSK Community Appointment Day on 20 March 2026: “It is nice to come and be amongst people who can help you get motivated so you can get yourself back out there.”
After attending a MSK Community Appointment Day, many people are managed through patient initiated follow up. This means they can book an appointment when they need one, which helps reduce unnecessary hospital visits. Others are referred to community support such as social prescribing. This approach also supports national aims on prevention, early help and better access to local services.
Gay Palmer, Social Prescriber Link Worker/Team Lead, Improving Health Limited (IHL), added, “Social prescribing is an important part of people’s care. We support MSK patients facing wider determinants of health – such as poverty, poor housing and limited employment opportunities – that could have a negative impact on their ability to engage in self-care beyond medical treatment.”
Vicki Rowe, Deputy Head of Physiotherapy at King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, remarked, “Over the past two years, we have delivered more than ten Community Appointment Days in Southwark, and they have proven to be an invaluable way for people in Southwark with MSK concerns to receive timely assessment and be directed onto the most appropriate care pathway for their needs.
Working closely with our community health partners has been a real strength of this programme. These events have not only provided immediate support on the day but have also reinforced connections between local services through effective follow up and referrals. This approach represents a significant step toward delivering the vision set out in the NHS 10 Year Health Plan – bringing services together and delivering high quality care at the heart of our communities.”
Notably, the model reaches people from many backgrounds. Attendance is similar across ethnic groups suggesting equitable engagement. Feedback from both patients and partners highlights the value of the approach, with strong support for it to continue and expand. This is already in place with further funding secured from NHS South East London Integrated Care Board (ICB).
Massimo Barcellona, Consultant Physiotherapist (Musculoskeletal) King’s College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, said, “One of the things we want to continue doing is provide regular community appointment days for patients who are joining our waiting list to give them access to that model of care. We also think this model could be applied more widely to people who are referred with a whole host of health problems where we invite not just community partners, but other clinical disciplines into that space in order to provide patients with the care they need, at that time, in one place.”
Read more about social prescribing in south Southwark